Last Updated: 10 Jun 2010

Corrie's Sally and her real-life cancer battle

Coronation Street's Sally Whittaker has revealed that, like her onscreen character, Sally Webster, she too is sadly battling breast cancer.

Sally says that when she was researching her character's storyline she checked her own breasts and unfortunately found a lump.

Sally goes so far as to say that her role in the soap may well have saved her life because she had never properly checked her breasts before the storyline came up.

Sally says, "I had never properly checked my breast before because I thought this wasn't going to happen to me. It's a stupid thing to think, but I think a lot of women are like that. Then one day, while filming the scenes about Sally having cancer, I had an hour off."

Soap bosses have reported that since the cancer storyline first aired just before Christmas, there has been an increase in the number of women going for breast checks.